The Detours and On Ramps Forum was held Monday at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, and over 80 attendees—predominantly mothers at different stages of their careers—gathered for this one-of a kind event. The conference, founded by two working mothers, was designed as a practical resource to address the needs and issues of anyone evaluating their decision to work full-time, part-time, or from home.
One of the most talked about issues in the workplace today is the concept of on-ramping, the process of resuming a career after weeks, months, or even years off. More than 50% of women who return to work after having a child leave within several months, citing job dissatisfaction as the number one cause. The working environment is in the midst of a profound shift—with options that include flex-time, job sharing, compressed work weeks, and longer periods of leave—but how can women who desire to return to work benefit from these changes?
This conference went a long way to answering that question. Speakers including Deloitte’s Anne Weisberg and bestselling author Carol Fishman Cohen talked about changes in the workplace and gave a practical “laundry list” of what to do to get back on-track. Interactive sessions with recruiters, companies, and fellow mothers gave attendees a varied perspective on different options. Attendees also spent time networking with panelists and each other, and received a take-home toolkit that included additional reading material.
Attendees came from the New York tri-state region and as far away as Pennsylvania and Connecticut;
Forum co-founder Meghan McCartan says, “We spent over a year putting the pieces of this event together and we couldn’t be more pleased with how well it went. Working on this project has been the most inspiring, rewarding thing we’ve ever done.”
